Prickly Pear

Prickly Pear Exhibit, Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, 1995

The pads of this cactus plant are shaped like a large pear, hence the name. If you bite into the pad (not advised), you will learn where the designation “prickly” comes from. Also knows as Engelmann’s prickly pear, tuna, nopal and purple fruit prickly pear. Prickly Pear is a member of the Cactus Family. It is the most common type of prickly pear found in Arizona.

Grows to a height of 5′ and spread to a diameter of 15′.
Blooms during the April-June timeframe with yellow, orange or reddish flowers. Its cylindrical-shaped fruit is red to purplish in color.
Protects itself with very sharp, narrow spines.
Grows at from 1,500 to 7,500′ elevation preferring sandy soils.
Its fruit, referred to as “tunas”, are a food source for rodents and birds. Javelina, an interesting Sonoran animal that resemble a wild boar, eat the pads. Humans use prickly pear to make jelly, red dye, face cream and purify water. Parts of this plant were used to make “itching powder”.